1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor yaw rate sensor of transistor type used, for example, in body control and navigation of a vehicle, and to a method of producing same.
2. Related Arts
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2-223817 discloses a yaw rate sensor which detects yaw rate acting upon a vehicle body. This yaw rate sensor is structured with a vibrator wherein a piezoelectric element is glued to a specified surface of a square rod made of metal, and is structured such that the vibrator is supported by means of a fine rod. Additionally, an angular-velocity sensor disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 4-142420 is structured with a piezoelectric element glued to a tuning fork made of metal. In either case these devices to detect the acceleration of yaw rate subject the main unit to vibration with a piezoelectric element, and attempt to detect, by means of changes in voltage detected by another piezoelectric element, distortion generated by Coriolis force generated by means of the yaw rate which is the measurement object.
Performance such as detection sensitivity in a sensor mechanism structured in this manner comes to be influenced by the method of support and machining precision of the vibrator, and consequently, in order to produce a high-performance sensor mechanism, there exist the problems of a high degree of difficulty in the machining and assembly thereof, and of necessarily high cost. Additionally, with respect also to achieving smaller size of the sensor mechanism, difficulty is encountered because of limitations in machining and assembly.